ITAC minutes for 10/20/04

1. Jim Neale expressed concern over why critical servers were shut down 
during our recent bad weather. This was disruptive to online courses, 
which need to be running 24 hours a day. Ginger Perry said that this was 
done to protect the servers. There is currently no backup power supply. 
The servers can run for a while on battery support, but they need to be 
shut down if power will be out for an extended period. Vera Weisskopf 
requested better communication for when the servers will be shut down. 
The committee recommended purchasing a backup power generator and 
possibly backup servers to provide continuous computer connectivity 
during inclement weather.

2. Before the meeting, Royce Hackett suggested that the committee should 
address testing centers for online courses. Many colleges and 
universities now have testing sites. Students can go to these testing 
centers, show their ID, and take online tests. This will enable students 
to take tests in a proctored environment where they cannot look at their 
notes, collaborate with other students, or cheat in other possible ways. 
There is an increasing need for this service as online courses become 
more widespread. GSW currently has a few scattered locations for 
testing, including Student Support, English, and Arts & Sciences. There 
is no single site or coherent policy for providing online testing. The 
committee felt that there is a need for more organized, comprehensive 
approach. Weisskopf noted that the real problem is that we need a staff 
person who is not a student to schedule and supervise testing. Arvind 
Shah and Royce Hackett were appointed to a subcommittee to investigate 
this issue further. We will discuss it in more detail at the next meeting.

3. Student Technology Fee money
a. Perry estimates that there is about $10,411 left in discretionary 
funds if we budget paper and printer supplies for the rest of the year. 
b. The committee recommended replacing two old 400 mhz computers in the 
Psychology/Sociology computer lab with new cpus. They also recommended 
purchasing a new printer for this lab.
c. The committee recommended purchasing two ceiling mounts for computer 
projectors in the English and Modern Languages department.
d. The suggestion was made to hold on to the remaining money until 
Spring so some funds would be available for coping with any emergency 
needs that might come up.

Attendance: Carl Mueller, Jim Neale, Bryan Davis, Ginger Perry, Vera 
Weisskopf, Stephanie Harvey, Arvind Shah, Gary Fisk

Next meeting: November 17 at 3:30 in the Morgan Hall Conference Room